Running
by Laura Latts
Summary: Life in the Pines house was far from easy. And Stanford is stubborn enough to make up his mind about it and then act on it. What does Stanley have to say? One shot.


For a young boy of 12 years old, Stanley Pines didn't think he'd have to come face to face with something so terrifying.

His feet pounded hard against the earth and his heart was banging in his ears. His chest was on fire but the adrenaline from absolute fear kept him going as he ran.

His neck was sore as he whipped his head to look, this way and that. He nearly lost his glasses trying to look so quickly. No where to be seen. He ran some more across the park. He couldn't take the chances.

What could be so terrifying? Reading a note that said his brother was running away from home.

And not even that it's just Stanford was running away from home, it was that Stanford was outside, in the city, all by himself. And with imagination like his, it was scary enough to keep Stanley running frantically to find his twin while horrific scenarios played through his mind.

"STANFORD!", the small boy called out, spinning around to make sure he's looked all around and didn't miss him in the streets.

It took a good long time of running and wheezing, but finally he found him. Stanford had his knapsack and was trudging along the banks of a sewer line when he was suddenly tackled to the grass by a choking embrace from his twin.

"Stanford!", the other cried out in relief.

" _Gak!_ Stanley! Let go!", Stanford choked in his arms and tried to push him off. "Get off of me!"

With a forceful shove, the twin hit the muddy banks and Stanford picked himself up. He looked furious.

"Don't try to get me to come back home!", Stanford warned. "I don't wanna! I don't wanna listen to Dad any more and I'll fight ya if you try to take me back!"

" _STANFORD YOU'RE AN IDIOT!_ ", Stanley screamed back at him.

Hearing his twin screaming mixed with choked back sobs and the tears showing to swell up in the young boy's eyes, Stanford was quite taken aback. Stanley sniffled, trying not to cry like their dad always said. He lifted his glasses and rubbed his eyes dry.

"You're so stupid!", Stanley strained to say clearly.

He looked back up at his brother and the twins locked gaze.

"Do you know how _scared_ I was?", Stanley continued to accuse, pulling himself to his feet. "Not Mom! Not Dad! _ME!_ How scared _I_ was?! That my brother, my _TWIN_ , was running away?! That I was gonna be left behind to fend for myself!"

Stanford finally blinked a little. The emphasis of this hit him hard and he stepped back, but his brother matched his steps with his own.

"I-I...", Stanford choked quietly. "I thought.."

" _NO!_ You weren't thinking! YOU _NEVER_ THINK!", Stanley continued in his rage. Finally letting it show. "YOU WEREN'T THINKING CAUSE IF YOU HAD, YOU WOULD'VE THOUGHT ABOUT _ME!_ "

He couldn't keep wiping them away and the tears blurred the vision of Ford and steamed his glasses. Lee's shoulders shook violently as he tried to keep from just sobbing. When he could see, he saw that Ford was also tearing up a little.

"Stanley.."

"What on earth possessed you to think this was a good idea to begin with?!", Stanley pressed on, rubbing his head a little as the pain from both sheer stupidity and the emotional fit was forming a headache. "Stanford, I know you hate Dad, but what do you really think I feel about him?! You think I _WANTED_ to fight with you?! Or _WANT_ to bottle everything up?! Do you _KNOW_ how much I cover your tracks when you do something BAD?! Why do you think Dad hasn't just whupped you by now?! Stan, I can't believe that of all the _stupidest_ things you've ever done, you _HONESTLY_ THOUGHT that _RUNNING AWAY_ was gonna solve all your problems! And you didn't once, I'll bet you every penny in my piggy bank, that you didn't _ONCE_ stop to think about how scared _I_ would be when I read your little letter!"

Stanford was obviously ashamed of what he did and wanting remorse. Stanley met his guilty look with a hard scowl of his own. Lee had been pacing back and forth as he ranted but now, standing a little higher than him on the sloping banks, he looked more intimidating than their father. And Ford was almost afraid they'd stop being brothers for this.

"You could've been robbed, or-or kidnapped, KILLED! _KILLED_ STANFORD! _I COULD'VE LOST MY BROTHER! I COULD'VE LOST YOU!_ Stan, we're JUST kids!", Stanley rolled his eyes and then wiped a few more tears away. "And then I'd _REALLY_ be left to fend for myself. Why do you think I haven't already tried to do the same? Or offered that we ran away together?! I know Dad makes us do the hardest things and is unfair and trying to almost literally kill us, but it's the only home we have! And covering your butt all the time doesn't help anything either!"

"M-me..?", Stanford whimpered, eyes shimmering in tears.

"YEAH! I'm always saving _YOUR_ butt from the _WORST_ trouble ever in existence and sometimes end up taking the beating for you!", Stanley growled. "Why do you think I put up with Dad all the time?! _YOUR WELCOME!_ "

Stanford looked down and the two slumped to their knees on the grass, tired from their running and ranting.

"...But...as long as I know I still have my brother to count on..", Stanley continued, the twin looking back up at him as Lee wrapped his rant up and sniffled a little. "...I know I can get through another day with Dad.. Cause you'll still be there to make me laugh or stand up with me at the playground.."

Lee lowered his head a little. A few more tears slipped by and Stanford did the same.

"And I know Dad doesn't ever want us to get all mushy and emotional but...", his voice became quiet and wavered a little. "I'm mad at you when you do nothing but complain. I'm hurt when Dad makes us fight each other. I am sad when the bullies on the playground are picking on us. But I'm happiest of all when we're just being brothers.. Even if we're picking on each other, even if you get under my skin, or I have to disciplined because I said it was my fault and not yours, I wouldn't trade you for any other twin in the universe..."

Stanford rubbed his arms sorely. He honestly didn't know what Lee was always thinking or feeling. Especially when it came to their father. Lee was typically very quiet, and very obedient. Commonly picked on as the "golden child". And here Ford was, just as wimpy as ever, only looking out for himself and trying to run from his problems. When Lee had not only thought to do the same, but was brave enough to just still keep at the problems, no matter how hard, and still looking out for his twin.

Lee was drying his eyes when he felt his brother's arms circle around him. He hesitated, but then hugged back and burried his face a bit more into Ford's shoulder.

"...I'm sorry...", Ford choked out, his own voice cracking badly from tears. "I'm so.. _SO_..sorry Stanley..."

"I know...", the other replied. "Just...PLEASE...Don't do this again.. _EVER_."

"I promise Stanley..", Ford backed away so they could look each other in the eye. His voice trembled but in his mind Stanford was firm. "I won't _EVER_ leave you behind again..."

They hugged again and allowed themselves a few more tears in this secret. They tried to calm down and picked themselves up, starting to head home.

"...Did Dad ever see my note?", Stanford asked, a little fearful of what would happen when they got back.

"Heh..", Stanley chuckled a little and dug into his coat pocket before producing a small crumpled paper ball. "He never had the chance to see it.."

"Oh...", Stanford looked at the note, wrapped with even more guilt now.

Stanley tucked it into his pocket and winked at his brother, making him smile a little again.

"Don't worry... I won't tell..", he promised.

They came home through the back yard. Stanford tucked his knapsack under the stairs to the porch and they headed in through the screen door. Their father was in the kitchen, reading the newspaper at the table. He glanced at his boys as they came in.

"And what happened to you two?", he asked, his voice very stern sounding. Even to them.

Stanley and Stanford took a glance at each other and realized. Their eyes, cheeks, and noses were all still red from crying earlier.

"Umm..", Stanley began, rubbing his nose a little.

"W-well, see, Dad, it was actually like _this_!", Stanford quickly cut in and giving a small grin. "You see, um, we had gone out to the playground, _innocently_ enjoying the remainder of our happy, youthful lives at the sandbox, when this rowdy group of bullies came by!"

Stanley was astonished how quickly Ford took the floor and obviously lied, while their father sat down the paper and turned to face them fully, a little curious to hear more. Stanford continued to amaze his captive audience.

"We tried to be polite and ask them to stop laughing at us cause of our names, but they were mean!", he did his best to sell the story as he nodded his head along with it. "And I mean really _REALLY mean_! They kicked the sand so hard it got in our faces, past the glasses! As if they weren't even there! Now, of course, they didn't make us _cry_. The sand in our faces still made us tear up and rub hard to get it out, but we weren't gonna _cry_. Course though.. Stanley here, well, he _really_ showed them what for! And made those bullies run off like a bunch of scared little girls!"

Stanford gave a grand wave to his brother with an admirable smile. Stanley smiled a little, as if modest of his so-called, "victory". He looked back at his twin and just barely caught the wink Ford snuck him before returning to his tale.

"And that's _exactly_ what happened! So we're actually on our way now to go wash up from any leftover sand.", Stanford started to back out of the kitchen, pushing his brother along.

Their father gave a nod in approval.

"Very good then.", he muttered before returning to his paper.

The boys slipped from the kitchen and paused just as they ducked out of sight. They looked over their shoulder, wondering if they could still be over heard before looking back at each other. Stanford held up two thumbs-up and gave a large grin while Stanley gave an appreciative smile. The two suppressed the urge to snicker and hurried off to their bedroom.

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 _Laura: Please review! ^^_


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